


Maybe, Perhaps, Almost

by shuhannon



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Jane Austen Fusion, Alternate Universe - Regency, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Historical Inaccuracy, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Regency Romance, Rey Needs A Hug, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 16:35:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21341329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuhannon/pseuds/shuhannon
Summary: The sight of a crumpled pile of clothes caused her brow to furrow. Rey took a step closer, making out a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, along with a pair of tall boots. Boots that looked familiar. Boots that certainly did not belong to…The sound of someone breaking to the surface caused Rey’s head to jerk in the direction of the ocean.Ben Solo.* * *a sanditon/regency/reylo au
Relationships: Ben Solo - Relationship, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 25
Kudos: 99





	Maybe, Perhaps, Almost

**Author's Note:**

> this is my attempt to cope with the beautiful, frustrating, emotional rollarcoster that was season one of sanditon.
> 
> also i just had to make it reylo.
> 
> please note i did some research, but i hardly consider myself a regency era/jane austen buff. basically i just watched a lot of pride and prejudice and kept my fingers crossed.
> 
> thanks so much to [han](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EquusGirl0621/pseuds/EquusGirl%22) for beta-ing for me! your comments and suggestions helped a great deal. <3

<[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/182242012@N03/49026680143/in/dateposted-public/)> 

Never before had Rey seen so much green. Never before had she seen rolling hills of wind blown glass. Never before had she seen so much water, let alone an ocean that one could not tell where it began nor where it would end.

Jakku had sand, but it was different than the seashell filled beaches of Naboo.

The sand of Jakku was course, rough and irritating. It was too hot and it was impossible to escape, to ever fully wash it from your hair and skin. Here, it was more rocky and the terrain far more rough. But it was also more intriguing, what with it’s tide pools and large boulders littered across the coast line. 

It made her, yet again grateful for Mr. and Mrs. Solo’s carriage losing a wheel during their journey home. They had sought refuge on Maz Kanata’s estate, where Rey had found work as a farmhand, and in order to thank her for helping, they had offered to bring Rey home with them, to give the young girl to see more of the world than just Jakku.

To Naboo.

Rey found herself forever intrigued by the beaches, able to spend hours picking up shells and kicking through the waves, her stockings and shoes abandoned and her skirts pulled up to her knees.

The water was always shockingly cold, even on the warmest of days. Yet Rey found herself always drawn to the ocean, whether by it’s salty smell that made her belly rumble or the calming sound of the waves crashing into one another.

Today her gaze was fixated on the ground rather than towards the water or the sky. She had a small collection of shells in her hand, all various sizes and textures, no two the same. Once more she crouched down, picking a shell out of the wet sand. Running the pad of her thumb over the ridges along its edge, Rey added it to her collection. Slowly, she was making her way closer towards the shoreline. 

The sight of a crumpled pile of clothes caused her brow to furrow. Rey took a step closer, making out a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, along with a pair of tall boots. Boots that looked familiar. Boots that certainly did not belong to…

The sound of someone breaking to the surface caused Rey’s head to jerk in the direction of the ocean. 

Ben Solo.

He began to walk out of the water, his pale skin glowing despite the dreary nature of the sky. Even from this distance, Rey could see the droplets of water that clung to his skin, joining the freckles and moles that dotted his entire form.

Never before had Rey seen a naked man.

She found her eyes were drawn to his form; to the broad expanse of his chest, to the way his muscles seemed to bulge beneath his skin. Slowly she began to pore over the rest of his body, her eyes drifting down the plane of his stomach, towards the trail of dark, wiry hairs that led to…

_ Oh. _

Her face flushed with heat as her gaze snapped to his. 

He stood there, chest rising and falling rapidly.

Rey quickly turned away.

She opened her mouth, her lips moving but absolutely no words came out. Her mind was racing, flashes of what she had just seen still running in her mind. 

“Miss Niima.” 

His voice rang out across the beach, cutting through the sound of the waves cresting upon one another and lapping at the shore, through the sound of the gulls calling out to one another over head.

It was as clear and true as a church bell. Rey felt her body growing even warmer.

“I- I didn’t know you were here, sir.”

She could practically hear the way he shook his head. The sound of his legs splashing through the water as he walked towards her, was enough to cause her pulse to quicken. 

“I thought I was alone.” How did he sound so calm? Especially when he was the one as bare as the moment he was born. 

“Believe me Mr. Solo. You were the  _ last  _ person I wanted to cross paths with.” Rey managed to stammer out, tripping over her words. Surely her face was the color of a tomato at this point. Her entire body felt much too hot. Had Rey found any humor in this situation or perhaps more forward of a personality, she might have made a joke about needing a swim in the ocean herself.

Instead she felt nothing but the heat of embarrassment. Quickly she glanced over her shoulder, expecting him to have put on… on  _ something. _

Yet he still stood there, his unfashionably long hair clinging to his forehead, chest still heaving and he was just… staring at her, absolutely no shame or qualms about his state of undress. She couldn’t help but notice the ropey muscles of his thick thighs as he stood, like at command. 

Quickly Rey averted her gaze, forcing her head to face forward once more. “I must be going.” She forced the words out of her throat, the fresh salt air suddenly feeling very thick and stagnant. “Good day, sir.”

With that she took off, her footing uncertain on the rocky beach but Rey kept forcing herself to look forward. By the time she had made it up the embankment to the plains of grass, Rey had broken out into a run.

She didn’t stop until she had made her way back the Organa house located in town.

* * *

It was reckless and foolish. Sneaking away on a coach, headed to Corellia. Rey had never been in a city before, let alone one as vast and bustling as the country’s capital. At first it seemed like a natural choice. Rose was in trouble. Her friend needed help, so why would Rey not do everything in her power to try?

Now though… now Rey was chiding herself and her rash decisions.

She had been helping Rose and Paige write letters for weeks now. She had served as the go between, taking the letters to the post office and picking them up. One of those letters was now grasped in her hand, her only lifeline, her only clue as to where her friend might be.

“Excuse me,” Rey turned to a man passing by. “Do you perhaps know where Kor Vella street is?” She was brushed off and ignored; pushed by the groups of people bustling to and fro.

There was poverty. People dressed in rags, their skin covered in grime and soot gathered around small bonfires. A man grinned eerily at her, showing off a mouth full of missing teeth.

Rey hurried her pace, still clutching to that piece of parchment as she just continued to walk.

It felt like hours had passed. It was still late, the sky still dark and yet the city remained as active as ever. Rey would hate to see what it was like in the daytime, when it was this bustling during the night. She found herself down by the docks, her feet aching and all hope feeling completely lost.

“Oi, get lost!” A man was literally thrown from a doorway to the damp city streets. No one seemed to pay it any attention or any mind. As if this was a regular occurrence. It began to dawn on Rey that, perhaps it was. The barkeeper dusted his hands off on his apron and began to turn to go back inside.

“Excuse me, sir.” Rey called out, “Do you know where forty-three Kor Vella street is?” She had to ask, had to at least keep trying. After all what else could she do? She didn’t have enough money to afford the coach ride back to Naboo. She had no contacts, no place to stay or to ask for a loan. No way to get in contact with Leia or Han.

This was all Rey had.

“Is that a quick question?” The man barked, his voice hardly friendly nor kind. Then again, at this point Rey wondered if a nice soul even existed within Corellia’s borders. “This  _ is  _ number forty-three.”

Relief began to wash through her body, her shoulders began to relax and the hint trace of a smile began to spread across her face. “Then surely you know a Miss Paige Tico? She has her mail forwarded to this address?”

The man crossed his arms over his large belly, clearly impatient with her questions. “She has in the past. I haven’t seen her for months, though.”

The hope was once more draining, as Rey furrowed her brow. “That cannot be. I have been sending letters to this address for the past several weeks.”

Now the barkeep just shrugged. “I have not seen her since before the summer season began. Various people have run errands for her, including picking up her post.”

“But I came all this way-” Rey continued to press, her teeth digging into the soft flesh of her bottom lip. This address was all she had. And now what? It was a dead end? Where did that leave her? Where did that leave Rose? 

“Look, that is all I know. Sounds like you have had a wasted journey, duchess.” The man turned, heading back into his bar, clearly done with their conversation and not about to offer any further assistance or help.

Which once more left Rey alone on the street. 

She looked up at the bar, wondering if maybe she should just go in to see if anyone else knew about Paige. Maybe someone would know where she could be found. 

Then her eyes locked with those of another man. He smiled at her, the gesture sent a cold chill down the back of her spine. The look on his face was… unnerving, unsettling. Slowly Rey turned, wanting nothing more than to put distance between herself and the man. Maybe she could circle around; could double back and begin asking about Paige to the bar patrons.

Rey did not think, she simply began to move, began to turn and walk down the first side street she saw. The moment she stepped into the alley, she knew it was yet another grave mistake. The street was poorly lit, thrusting her into darkness and shadows. To make matters worse, Rey could hear footsteps directly behind her.

The man was following her.

She lifted her skirts, willing her feet to go faster without breaking out into a full fledged run.

Then she felt it, the curl of fingers around her arm, yanking her back. “ _ Excuse me _ , sir.” Rey pulled against the man, trying to remove herself from his grasp.

He said nothing, and then he was grabbing her by the shoulders, hauling her body up against his, one arm wrapped around her middle while the other went across her chest. Rey didn’t even think, she began to kick and fight, began to bite at any exposed flesh. “Get off!” She shouted, trying to elbow the man in the gut.

Then she heard it, the sound of an unsheathed knife.

Rey began to scream, except a hand clamped over her mouth. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, her body thrashing against the assailants.

And then there was another loud thud. Rey was let go. She dropped to the ground, crawling out of the way as sounds of a fight were heard behind her. Resting her back against the adjacent building, she tried to catch her breath.

The man was kicked and shoved down the alleyway. It seemed even he knew when a fight was lost, as he scrambled off. 

Slowly, Rey got to her feet, still panting as her heartbeat felt as if it was about to burst from her chest. She held onto the wall of the building, ignoring the mud and grime that now caked her dress and coat. After all, Rey would much rather be dressed in filth and alive, than be clean and dead.

She looked to her savior, trying to piece together words of thanks and gratitude. Because had he not come around, had he not stopped to help… 

“Miss Niima?” Disbelief coated the man’s voice. And what a familiar voice it was. Rey was becoming familiar with that deep baritone. It was a voice she would recognize anywhere.

Never before had Rey been so relieved to cross paths with Mr. Ben Solo. 

It seemed, however, that the feeling was not mutual.

* * *

“I cannot believe you have made an already impossible task that much more insufferable. I now have the added task of protecting you.” 

Ben’s tone was coated in nothing but displeasure and disapproval.

The coach jostled back and forth, as Rey sat there in stony silence, the gratitude and relief she had felt upon first seeing him, quickly fading as she became the victim yet again of one of his tongue lashings.

“What did you expect me to do?” Rey finally asked, her lips curled into a frown. “Sit back and do nothing? Besides, I am not in need of your protection. I had the situation entirely in hand-”

He barked out a laugh. It was as cold and unforgiving as his features right now, though Rey would be lying if she didn’t notice the spark of a flame in his eyes. It wasn't exactly…  _ warmth _ , but instead something else. Something that was hard to pinpoint, to name.

“Under control? Is that what you call what happened back in that alley? Had I not come along-” Ben’s voice trailed off, his gaze turning towards the carriage window. 

The silence hung in the air, heavy with his unspoken implication.

“Rose does not know I am here.” Rey finally spoke, her eyes dropping to her lap. She began to pick at the fabric of her skirt, whether at a stray thread or piece of dirt she did not know. “Rose did not ask me to come. I just-”

“You just what?” He interjected, though there was less bark to his voice.

“I was- I helped them.” Rey began to explain, the words coming out slowly. “I was helping Rose and Paige send letters to one another.”

The growl that left Ben Solo’s lips sent a shiver down her spine. Nonetheless, she pressed on. “They were supposed to meet during the cricket match. Just for an hour or so. She wasn’t- Rose was not to return to London with Paige. That was not part of the plan.”

“Do you not see, now?!” Ben snapped, throwing a hand up in frustration. “Do you not understand what I was trying to prevent?”

“They are sisters! They are family. They should be allowed to see each other, to speak with one another. I do not see what is so wrong-”

“Paige is ruined.” Ben interjected, his jawline set and his brow deeply furrowed. “She is disowned from her family due to her actions and behavior. Rose knows that to associate with her sister would cause her ruin as well. It was their father’s wishes. If Rose wants to see any of her inheritance, then she must keep her distance from her sister.”

Rey blinked, staring down at the man sitting across from her, her brain having a hard time processing just what was being said. “How can you- how- you  _ support _ that? Keeping two sisters apart?”

The idea of having family, family that you loved, that you could spend time with and then not being allowed to? It made no sense.

Ben began to shake his head, refusing to meet her eye. “Rose is my ward, entrusted in my care by her father. I must do my best to uphold his wishes. Her care is my utmost concern and now, thanks to you-”

Now it was her turn to interrupt him with a sharp laugh. “How can you say that? You have done everything in your power to do the bare minimum when it comes to the younger Miss Tico’s care. You do not care for her happiness. You locked her up in Naboo like a princess in a tower and expected her to sit and stay like some loyal dog.”

“I did what I had to do in order to keep her safe.” Ben insisted.

“You have made her  _ miserable. _ ” Rey shot back, folding her arms beneath her chest. “She is expected to marry, yet how is she to meet anyone when she’s kept on such a short leash? You cannot expect her to fall in love.” She pressed her lips together, as she regarded him with distaste. “Then again I suppose you know nothing of feelings. You would have her marry for convenience, correct? To some old man who treats her like property-”

He scoffed. “And what do you know of love, Miss Niima? Other than what you have read in books?”

At that Rey fell silent, biting her tongue. Because it was true. What did she know? Not the love of a family, of people who shared her flesh and blood nor the love of a man, of someone that caused her to be the best version of herself.

“Just as I thought,” He muttered under his breath. “You know nothing of it.”

“And what do you, Mr. Solo, know of love?” Rey countered back, shifting angrily in her seat. This carriage ride could not move fast enough. She could not wait to get to their destination, to put distance between Mr. Solo and herself. The gratitude she had felt in the alley was quickly fading away into anger and disdain. “I cannot imagine you know anything about what it is to feel.”

“And pray tell, what does that mean?”

“It means you are nothing but vague and distant,” Rey snapped back. “You offer nothing of yourself and yet you are the first to rise to anger the moment there is a misunderstanding. As if the world is expected to read your mind, to know your every thought and feeling.”

His jaw began to work, began to shift and move. Yet he didn’t offer up any response. So, Rey carried on. “So excuse me, for it being hard to imagine a world in which you know how to care, let alone show love for anyone but yourself.”

The rest of the carriage ride was spent in utter silence. Rey knew she should feel victorious; should feel as if she finally held the upper hand. Yet she felt nothing but misery. For the first time in months, Rey felt cold, alone and hungry. She was worried for her friend, concerned for Rose’s safety and well being.

And if she despised Mr. Solo so much, why did she feel such remorse for her harsh words? Why did she feel regret for being so forthcoming and so blunt?

* * *

Forced to wait until morning to continue their search was nerve wracking. Rey had barely slept, instead opting to toss and turn in her bedroom at the Solo’s home located in the city’s more affluent neighborhoods. Judging the dark bags underneath Ben’s eyes, Rey could only assume the young Mr. Solo had slept about as well as her.

Nonetheless, they set out into the city once more, following the trail of breadcrumbs left behind by the Tico girls.

Within mere hours, Rose had been recovered. She was found in the possession of a questionable man named Jabba Hutt, having been used as a pawn to repay the debts in which Paige Tico owed. The elder Miss Tico was involved with a women’s rights group, one that needed funds to keep fighting for their causes. All Rey could assume was that desperate times had called for desperate measures.

It would have been riveting, had it been read on the pages of a book rather lived out in real life. Between following the trail all over the city, from where Paige met for Resistance meetings, to the brothel in which Mr. Hutt frequented, to the carriage chase near the outer rim, where the laws of marriage became much more loose.

Maybe in a few years time, Rey would look back on it with excitement. But for now… now she felt nothing but sheer exhaustion.

Rose was safe, returned to Organa House in the heart of Corellia. She had been bathed and fed and tucked into bed. Her heart was broken, but her body was in one piece.

And now, house was quiet. Everyone had retired to their own rooms, ready to put the unsavory day behind them.

Rey found herself unable to sleep. Donning her dressing gown, her bare feet silently padded against the wooden stairs as she made her way down the steps. There was still noise filtered in from the outside; the sound of carriage wheels on cobblestones and people calling to one another.

How different it was from Naboo. She was beginning to see the draw, why Leia had spoken of Ben spending so much time in the bustling capital. Corellia really was the city that didn’t sleep. And apparently Rey did not either.

She rounded the corner, taking in the paintings on the wall and statues that housed the corners. If the Solo’s wealth wasn’t evident by their home in Naboo, it was clear in this house. The walls were bursting with history, the furniture all fine and the latest fashion.

Wandering from the foyer to the drawing room, Rey found herself standing in the doorway of the parlor. Her eyes instantly went to the shelves upon shelves filled to the brim with books. Never before had Rey seen so many books in one home. Had someone possibly read them all? It seemed like a task that would take a lifetime.

“Miss Niima.”

She startled, drawing her robe tighter over her nightgown. “Mr. Solo,” Rey gave a small bow of her head. “Pardon me, sir. I did not see you there. I did not expect anyone else to be up.”

Yet here he was, seated behind a desk, his feet propped up and a chrystale glass of an amber colored liquor in his hand. He offered nothing more; did not even look in her direction. At first Rey’s instinct was to turn; to bid him goodnight and return to her room on the second floor. 

That would be the smart decision, the polite one, especially given their exchange in the carriage.

Instead Rey stepped further into the parlor, her twirling with the damp hair that hung past her shoulders. “I owe you an apology, Mr. Solo.”

“Oh?” He shifted, his boot clad feed falling from the edge of his desk to the ground. “I do not think such sentiments are necessary, Miss Niima.”

“ _ No _ ,” Rey shook her head, lips pressed as her fingers curled. “Please, let me just- I was harsh with you in the carriage. I said many things, many of which are not true-”

“Miss Niima-”

“I judged you, Mr. Solo. I made assumptions about a situation that I knew so little about. I was forming thoughts and jumping to conclusions without knowing the entirety of it all. I- I said unforgivable things to you.”

“ _ Miss Niima _ .” His voice was loud, bringing her ramblings to an abrupt stop as he raised a hand. “You were not wrong.” Ben leaned forward, setting his glass down onto the top of his desk. “You did, in fact, get many things right. I have not done my best to take care of Miss Tico. I thrust that responsibility onto everyone else, yourself included. I did not take her position as my ward seriously. Even worse, I did not take her happiness into account.”

Rey said nothing, her tongue suddenly rendered silent and struck completely dumb.

“But I do care for Rose,” Ben carried on. “I do want her to be happy, and I will protect her at all costs, even when perhaps my actions seem unjust or unfair. At the end of the day, I am her caretaker. It all falls upon my shoulders, and I was wrong to put so much of the blame on you.”

“But-” Ben’s eyes flickered, brown meeting hazel. “You were wrong on one account. I do know something about love.”

The house was silent and still. The sounds of the city outside seemed to fade away, and all that remained was his presence and hers.

The sound of the wooden legs of the chair scraping against the floor broke the trance. Rey blinked, suddenly remembering herself, her company and most of all, her place.

Ben cleared his throat as he began to rise to his feet, pushing himself away from the desk. “Might I suggest you get some sleep, Miss Niima? Morning will be here before we know it.” 

She silently nodded, yet remained rooted to her spot, watching as he approached her, his stride slow. As they stood there shoulder to shoulder, Ben facing one direction while Rey faced the other, she couldn’t help but feel a change in the wind. Something had altered between them, something had changed.

It remained unnamed, undefined and uncertain in Rey’s mind.

Yet it was a change, nonetheless.

“Goodnight, Miss Niima.” Ben murmured, his head inclined towards hers. Rey mirrored his action, her chin tilted and her vision locked onto his.

“Goodnight Mr. Solo.”

There was another pause. His lips parted, as if he had something more to say.

Then with a breath, he was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> all comments/kudos are appreciated! ♥️
> 
> feel free to follow me on [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/shuhannon)


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